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All Cards/Best for $400+/Month Groceries

Best No AF Cards for Grocery Spending Over $400/Month

For households spending $400 or more per month at supermarkets, the top three no annual fee cards are American Express Blue Cash Everyday (3 percent on US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year), Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards (2 percent grocery boost, scales up with Preferred Rewards), and Capital One SavorOne (3 percent uncapped on groceries plus dining and entertainment). The choice turns on whether your monthly spend exceeds the $500 BCE cap and whether you carry a BoA banking or Merrill relationship.

Rates and offers as of 2026-05-20.

The $6,000 Amex cap (and why it matters more in 2026)

Amex Blue Cash Everyday pays 3 percent on US supermarkets up to $6,000 of spend per calendar year. That cap was set in 2017 and has not been raised, but grocery prices have. The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI for Food at Home rose approximately 26 percent between 2017 and 2025, with another 3 to 5 percent annual pace expected through 2026 per the USDA Economic Research Service food price outlook. A $400/month grocery budget in 2017 is closer to $510/month today for the same basket of goods.

Translation: a household that comfortably stayed under the $6,000 BCE cap in 2017 now blows past it by month 11 or 12. For households actively spending $500+/month, the BCE cap is binding by month 11. For $700+/month households, the cap blows by month 9. After the cap, BCE drops to 1 percent on supermarkets, less than half of what Citi Double Cash (2 percent uncapped) pays on the same spend.

That is why the cohort matters. For households under $400/month groceries, BCE is unambiguously the best pick. For households at $400 to $500/month, BCE is still the right primary card. Above $500/month, the stacking discussion becomes meaningful: BCE for the first $6,000, then SavorOne (3 percent uncapped) for everything above, captures 3 percent on the entire year of grocery spend regardless of volume.

The 2026 ranking for $400+/month households

Pick 1 of 3

American Express Blue Cash Everyday

3 percent US supermarkets up to $6,000/year ($180 max), plus 3 percent online retail and 3 percent gas with separate caps each.

Annual fee

BCE is the highest-rate no-AF grocery card for households at or below the cap. The 3 percent rate covers every major US supermarket chain: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Publix, HEB, Safeway, Albertsons, Wegmans, Aldi, Sprouts, Stop and Shop, and roughly 200 regional chains. Excluded: Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, BJs (all code as discount/warehouse).

At $500/month groceries, you spend $6,000/year and hit the cap exactly. Annual rewards: $180. At $400/month, you spend $4,800/year under the cap. Annual rewards: $144. At $700/month, you spend $5,600 at 3 percent ($168) plus $2,800 at 1 percent ($28) for $196 total. Compare to a 2 percent flat card on $8,400: $168. BCE wins by $28 at $700/month, before any stacking.

Bonus categories that compound the value: 3 percent on US online retail (separate $6k cap), 3 percent on US gas stations (separate $6k cap). A household that maximizes all three categories earns $540/year, a stronger absolute return than any other no-AF card. Source: Amex BCE product page, accessed 2026-05-20.

Pick 2 of 3

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards

2 percent grocery (uncapped beyond $2,500/quarter combined with chosen 3 percent). 75 percent boost with Platinum Honors banking.

Annual fee

BoA Customized Cash Rewards pays 2 percent on groceries and wholesale clubs (the only card on this list that includes Costco, Sam's Club, BJs, Walmart Plus). For households who mix traditional supermarket and warehouse club spending, this is meaningfully better than BCE because BCE pays 1 percent on Costco and Walmart.

The Preferred Rewards boost makes this card potentially #1 for the right cohort. With $20,000+ on deposit at BoA or Merrill (Gold tier), the 2 percent becomes 2.5 percent. At $50,000+ (Platinum), it becomes 3 percent. At $100,000+ (Platinum Honors), it becomes 3.5 percent. That 3.5 percent on groceries is uncapped (subject to the quarterly $2,500 combined cap with your chosen 3 percent category, so practically up to $10,000/year of grocery spend at 3.5 percent equals $350).

For BoA Platinum Honors customers, this card beats BCE on groceries alone. The combined warehouse + supermarket coverage at 3.5 percent is the highest no-AF grocery rate available. Source: BoA Customized Cash Rewards product page, accessed 2026-05-20.

Pick 3 of 3

Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards

3 percent on groceries (excluding superstores), dining, entertainment, streaming. Uncapped. No FTF. No annual fee.

Annual fee

SavorOne is the right pick for households above the BCE cap who want simplicity. The 3 percent rate on groceries is uncapped, with no quarterly tracking or category selection. At $800/month groceries ($9,600/year), SavorOne earns $288 versus BCE's $180 capped at $6,000 plus 1 percent on the overflow $3,600 ($36) for $216 total. SavorOne wins by $72/year.

SavorOne's grocery exclusions match BCE's: Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club all code as non-supermarket and earn 1 percent. The category also explicitly excludes meal kits (Blue Apron, HelloFresh) which code as mail-order food delivery, not groceries. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Publix, and all standard supermarkets are included at 3 percent.

The compounding value: SavorOne also pays 3 percent on dining (restaurants), 3 percent on entertainment (concerts, movies, events), and 3 percent on streaming. For a household that already values these categories, SavorOne earns 3 percent across multiple major spend buckets without any tracking complexity. Source: Capital One SavorOne product page, accessed 2026-05-20.

Monthly grocery spend and the cap break-even table

At what point does the BCE cap make a different card the better choice? The answer depends on monthly volume.

Monthly grocery spend	Annual BCE earnings	Annual SavorOne earnings	Annual BoA Platinum Honors	Best pick
$400 ($4,800/yr)	$144	$144	$168	BoA Honors / BCE bonuses tip BCE
$500 ($6,000/yr)	$180	$180	$210	BoA Honors / BCE bonuses tip BCE
$700 ($8,400/yr)	$196	$252	$294	BoA Honors then SavorOne
$1,000 ($12,000/yr)	$240	$360	$350 (cap)	SavorOne
$1,500 ($18,000/yr)	$300	$540	$350 (cap)	SavorOne

BoA Customized Cash Rewards earnings shown for Platinum Honors tier (3.5 percent), subject to the $2,500 quarterly combined cap. The cap maxes BoA at approximately $350/year regardless of further grocery spend. SavorOne's uncapped 3 percent scales linearly with spend, making it the clear winner above $1,000/month.

The two-card stack: BCE plus SavorOne

For households spending $700+/month who want maximum yield, the BCE + SavorOne stack captures 3 percent on all grocery spend. The mechanics:

January 1: use BCE for all supermarket purchases.
When you hit $6,000 cumulative BCE supermarket spend (track via Amex statement), switch to SavorOne for groceries.
SavorOne continues at 3 percent for the rest of the year, no cap.
Restart with BCE on January 1 of the next year.

For a $1,000/month household, this stack earns $180 (BCE first 6 months) plus $180 (SavorOne second 6 months) equals $360/year. Single-card BCE earns $240. Single-card SavorOne earns $360 (same as stack). The stack is only better if you also want BCE's online retail and gas bonuses on non-grocery spend; if grocery is the only target, SavorOne single-card is functionally equivalent without the tracking overhead.

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Frequently asked questions

What counts as a supermarket for credit card rewards?

Each issuer uses Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) to classify supermarkets. The standard supermarket MCC is 5411 (grocery stores). Amex US Supermarkets includes 5411 merchants based in the US, plus Whole Foods (5411), Trader Joe's (5411), Kroger family stores (5411), Publix (5411), HEB (5411), Safeway (5411), Albertsons (5411), Wegmans (5411), Aldi (5411), and similar. Excluded: Walmart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco (all of which code as discount stores or warehouses, not supermarkets), and most convenience stores.

Why is Walmart not a supermarket on credit cards?

Walmart codes as merchant 5310 (discount store) regardless of how much grocery you buy there. Even if 70 percent of your Walmart purchase is groceries, the MCC follows the store, not the basket. The same logic applies to Target (MCC 5310 discount store), Costco (MCC 5300 warehouse), and Sam's Club (MCC 5300 warehouse). For Walmart-heavy households, the grocery category is the wrong target. Look at flat 2 percent cards instead.

Is the Amex BCE $6,000 supermarket cap a household cap or a per-card cap?

Per-card. If you and your spouse each have a BCE card on the same account (one primary, one authorized user), the cap is $6,000 combined because authorized user spending counts against the primary's cap. If you each have separate BCE accounts (you the primary on one, your spouse the primary on theirs), the cap is $6,000 each, $12,000 combined. The second-account approach is the legitimate workaround for high-grocery households spending $1,000+/month.

Does instacart count as supermarket for rewards?

Mostly no. Instacart purchases code as Instacart (MCC 5411 sometimes, MCC 5814 fast food sometimes, MCC 5399 misc retail sometimes). The behavior is inconsistent and depends on whether Instacart is delivering from a partner store with direct billing or processing payment itself. For reliable supermarket rewards, buy direct from the store (online pickup, store-branded delivery like Kroger Boost or Safeway Delivery) rather than through Instacart.

What is the 2026 USDA estimate for monthly grocery spend?

USDA Food Plans 2026 update puts the moderate-cost monthly grocery plan at approximately $1,070 for a family of 4 (2 adults aged 20 to 50, 2 children aged 6 to 11). For a family of 2 adults, the moderate plan is approximately $760/month. For 1 adult, approximately $380/month. Households spending above these levels (eating out less, cooking more, organic preferences) often hit $1,200 to $1,800/month for a family of 4. At those levels, BCE's $6,000 cap is binding by mid-year.

Can I use multiple cards to spread grocery spending and avoid caps?

Yes. The Amex BCE + Capital One SavorOne stack is the highest-yield approach. Use BCE for the first $500/month (3 percent up to $6,000/year) and SavorOne for everything above (3 percent uncapped on groceries). Both at 3 percent means a blended 3 percent on all grocery spend regardless of total. The trade-off is two cards to track and the small risk of duplicate fraud monitoring.

Does the Costco Anywhere Visa pay grocery rewards?

No. The Costco Anywhere Visa (Citi) is a no-AF card (technically a Costco membership-included card, with the Costco membership separately at $65/year for Gold Star or $130/year for Executive) that pays 4 percent on gas, 3 percent on restaurants and travel, 2 percent at Costco, and 1 percent on everything else. There is no supermarket bonus category. For mixed Costco plus traditional supermarket households, pair this card with BCE or SavorOne.

Not financial advice. Cited from USDA Food Plans 2026, BLS CPI Food at Home index, and each issuer's published category list as of 2026-05-20.